UN refugee agency calls for transparency over deadly incident off Greece’s Chios island

​​​​​​​ Beyza Binnur Donmez

GENEVA (AA) - The UN refugee agency said Wednesday that it was "deeply saddened" after at least 15 people died in a shipwreck off Chios island in Greece, urging transparency.

UNHCR said the accident also injured 24 others, including children, women and men.

While the circumstances surrounding the shipwreck are still being established, it stressed the need for "full clarity and transparency" when accidents occur during lifesaving operations at sea.

UNHCR staff are present at the hospital assisting survivors, providing interpretation and legal services where needed, it added.

The agency said the tragedy is not "an isolated case." Between 2015 and 2025, at least 3,148 people died or went missing in the Aegean Sea while attempting the crossing, it noted

"These tragedies are preventable," UNHCR said, urging governments to address the conflicts and root causes that force people to undertake dangerous journeys, expand support for countries hosting refugees, and create more legal migration pathways.

It added that saving lives at sea "is a legal and humanitarian imperative," calling for coordinated international action to prevent further deaths.